Preview — Dead In The Water
by Penny Farmer

Dead In The Water

In 1978, two tortured corpses were discovered in the sea off Guatemala. Hooded, bound with ropes and weighted down with heavy engine parts, Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton were still clinging to life when they were thrown from a yacht on which they had been crewing.

This is the gripping account of how Chris's family painstakingly gathered evidence against theIn 1978, two tortured corpses were discovered in the sea off Guatemala. Hooded, bound with ropes and weighted down with heavy engine parts, Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton were still clinging to life when they were thrown from a yacht on which they had been crewing.

This is the gripping account of how Chris's family painstakingly gathered evidence against the boat’s Californian skipper, Silas Duane Boston, working alongside the FBI, Interpol, and police in the UK and the USA. Almost four decades later in 2015, there was a major breakthrough in the case when, using Facebook, Chris’s sister Penny tracked Boston down. Following the testimony of his two sons who, as young boys, had witnessed the horrific murder of Chris and Peta at the hands of their father, Boston was finally arrested and charged with two counts of maritime murder.

Chillingly, Boston was later linked to several other killings on US soil―at one point he was even the FBI’s prime suspect in the notorious Golden State Killer case, until DNA ruled him out. The list of crimes for which he was suspected put him in the league of America’s most prolific and elusive serial killers.

Not just a story of murder on the high seas, Dead in the Water is a tale that offers insights into the minds of the killer and his two sons. And it reveals a family’s fortitude and diligence in tracking down a monster of a man, a task which ultimately fell to the author to complete. It exemplifies that life can be senselessly snuffed out but love never dies....more

I recommend this for real true crime readers as it is well written and researched since the author is an experienced journalist. Meet Penny and learn of her family's decades-long heartbreak and grief behind this incrediblDead in the Water: My Forty-Year Search for My Brother's Killer

This is the new edition which has been updated for the US release. I read the original UK edition in August 2018 and you can find my original review for the first book below-

I recommend this for real true crime readers as it is well written and researched since the author is an experienced journalist. Meet Penny and learn of her family's decades-long heartbreak and grief behind this incredible tale. Besides this being such a riveting story to follow, although gritty at points, there are still some things happening in regards to the story and you will find them added in this new edition. I don’t give many books 5 stars, so that’s saying something I hope. Thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penny Farmer along with the publisher for the eARC copy.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.his was an incredible read that I just couldn’t stop until I finished. Author Penny Farmer and her family had such a wrenching loss when her 25-year-old new doctor brother Chris, and his lawyer girlfriend, 24-year-old Peta Frampton, from Manchester UK were tortured and killed in 1978. They loved to travel and had chosen to take a year off from studies and see the world. While on their trip they were good about calling and Peta wrote very long letters that she mailed when she got the chance. Whenhis was an incredible read that I just couldn’t stop until I finished. Author Penny Farmer and her family had such a wrenching loss when her 25-year-old new doctor brother Chris, and his lawyer girlfriend, 24-year-old Peta Frampton, from Manchester UK were tortured and killed in 1978. They loved to travel and had chosen to take a year off from studies and see the world. While on their trip they were good about calling and Peta wrote very long letters that she mailed when she got the chance. When a long period went by without word from either one of them, their families knew something was very wrong.

The parents reported the couple missing in Belize after getting Peta’s last letter saying that’s where they’d been and waited for any kind of word from authorities. Not knowing was the hardest thing, and everyone was on edge waiting to find something out about what happened to them. But back then it was so difficult to get information from other countries, especially when they’d been traveling on someone’s private boat. Penny’s parents did all they could though, making calls to anyone they thought could get somewhere. Her father found out that two European bodies were found floating in the sea near Guatemala, tied to heavy metal parts and were recovered in roughly the area that the missing pair had been reported missing. They were eventually identified by dental records as Chris and Peta and the wondering turned to devastation and shock.

This book is about the nearly 40 years it took for the families to get any kind of justice on the murders, as the person responsible seemed to have an uncanny kind of luck when it came to getting away with his crimes. Its an astonishing story with so many twists and turns that I was up all night reading it. Extremely moving, and for me, heartfelt, as I felt such a bond and connection having lost a brother too at a similar age, my only sibling…under awful circumstances in his late 20’s. I was in tears for the family by the third chapter, and cried for them all the way through. I know the pain and it’s enduring power. I’m so impressed by their strength and all they did to bring about the resolution they did get.

This is an amazing book, hard to read at times though how sadistic this killer was.. I lost my place and I grimaced at having to go back through the bad parts again to find where I’d left off. Reading it once was bad enough! Then I imagined how the families felt learning how their loved ones endured that and having nightmares about it afterward and my heart goes out to them. The least I can do is read about it. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by author Penny Farmer, and the publisher for my fair review....more

A fascinating, gripping and often moving account of a brutal double murder and the impact of that crime on the families of both the victims and the perpetrator. In 1978, Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton, were murdered whilst travelling in Central America. Although there was a clear suspect in the case, Silas Duane Boston, the American captain of a boat they were travelling on, the crime went unsolved for almost four decades. The book is written by Penny Farmer, sister of Chris, whoA fascinating, gripping and often moving account of a brutal double murder and the impact of that crime on the families of both the victims and the perpetrator. In 1978, Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton, were murdered whilst travelling in Central America. Although there was a clear suspect in the case, Silas Duane Boston, the American captain of a boat they were travelling on, the crime went unsolved for almost four decades. The book is written by Penny Farmer, sister of Chris, who trackedBoston down via Facebook in 2015 and, through her determination to see justicedone, got the case reopened. ‘Dead in the Water’ is a really compelling read, and the challenges of the investigation of a 38 year old crime by police forces from more than one country are skilfully described. What really comes across is the vast cultural differences that exist between 1978 and the present day. At the time Chris and Peta’s families relies in intermittent letters for updates on the couple’s travels and the agony of waiting for more information when it becomes clear that something is wrong is palpable. Also fascinating is the role that Boston’s sons play in the story, the stark contrast between the two main family units in the book is subtly brought across, but very impactful. Boston was a suspect in the Golden State Killer crimes that were the subject of Michelle McNamara’s book ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ and ‘Dead in the Water’ serves as an interesting companion piece to that book. Farmer’s prose isn’t always as immediate as McNamara’s, but ‘Dead in the Water’ is a better structured and paced book, with a passion and emotion that hook the reader again and again. It’s a brave and very personal account, and all the better for that. Farmer doesn’t spare any detail in her description of the crime, or the terrible impact that it had on her family. Her tenacity and drive are quite inspirational, and the love she and her family felt for Chris is clear on every page. I couldn’t put it down and am very glad to have read it....more

How many more criminals are alive who should be locked up but are not due to police incompetence? Hard to put down and i was moved to tears on many occasions. There is undoubted risk in traveling the World but we should be able to trust the police to at lease follow leads and information. Sadly my recent experience of ask8ng the police for help is that,like water, they take the path of least resistance to make their lives easy.

How many more criminals are alive who should be locked up but are noHow many more criminals are alive who should be locked up but are not due to police incompetence? Hard to put down and i was moved to tears on many occasions. There is undoubted risk in traveling the World but we should be able to trust the police to at lease follow leads and information. Sadly my recent experience of ask8ng the police for help is that,like water, they take the path of least resistance to make their lives easy.

How many more criminals are alive who should be locked up but are not due to police incompetence? Hard to put down and i was moved to tears on many occasions. There is undoubted risk in traveling the World but we should be able to trust the police to at least follow leads and information. Sadly my recent experience of asking the police for help is that,like water, they take the path of least resistance to make their lives easy. ...more

Saw Penny's interview on This morning wanted to know the full details so downloaded the book read in one sitting. Heartbreaking and thoughtful that some people are fated to pack such a lot into their short lives they're passion for travel and experiences was consuming in a time where trust was openly given ......to the wrong person .This is a tale of Facebook being used for the good. Interesting read

title: Dead In The WaterAuthor : Penny FarmerGenre: Nonfiction- true crimeNetgalley ARCpages 288 Book synopsisIn July 1978, two bodies were discovered in the sea off Guatemala. They were found to be the remains of Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton, two young British graduates. Having been beaten and tortured, then thrown, still alive, into the sea, their bodies had been weighted down and dumped from the yacht on which they had been crewing. For nearly forty years, no one was chargedtitle: Dead In The WaterAuthor : Penny FarmerGenre: Nonfiction- true crimeNetgalley ARCpages 288 Book synopsisIn July 1978, two bodies were discovered in the sea off Guatemala. They were found to be the remains of Chris Farmer and his girlfriend Peta Frampton, two young British graduates. Having been beaten and tortured, then thrown, still alive, into the sea, their bodies had been weighted down and dumped from the yacht on which they had been crewing. For nearly forty years, no one was charged with these brutal murders.

This is the shocking and compelling story of how Chris's sister, Penny, and her family tracked down his and Peta's killer. For decades they painstakingly gathered evidence against Silas Boston, the yacht's American owner, working alongside police in the UK and the USA, as well as the FBI, until he was finally arrested and charged with two counts of murder in 2016. Astonishingly, Penny was able to track down Boston's son, whose bravery in testifying against his own father was the key to bringing down Chris and Peta's killer after so many years.

Dead In The Water is the story of a murder almost unimaginable in its cruelty and one ordinary woman's unwavering determination to find justice for her brother.

My thoughtsrating: 5would I recommend it: yesWhy : because its a story that needs to be readFeeling mixed emotions right now, sad that it took almost 40 years for this case to be closed and for the families to find out what happened and get the justice for their last ones, but also angry that instead of getting the justice the families deserved the killer took the easy way out and dead of natural causes even if he was in custody, its a story that must be told and read , with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it in exchange for my honest opinion....more

I had never before heard the story of Dr Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton but what a story it was.How cruel it was that these young people with such potential were murdered in this most awful manner.A book I could not put down.Penny Farmer did a great job in bringing this case to a conclusion but what had luck the murderer died before justice was really done.Dr Chris Farmers mother is a remarkable women and I am so glad she lived a long life so she would know the true story of thAn absorbing story

I had never before heard the story of Dr Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton but what a story it was.How cruel it was that these young people with such potential were murdered in this most awful manner.A book I could not put down.Penny Farmer did a great job in bringing this case to a conclusion but what had luck the murderer died before justice was really done.Dr Chris Farmers mother is a remarkable women and I am so glad she lived a long life so she would know the true story of the young people's death.Altogether a great read and a lesson on how careful young people must be on exploring the world.

I read this book in one weekend. As a True Crime book, it is not my usual genre but this book is really well put together; a memorial for two young, intelligent people murdered on a boat whilst travelling the world. I would recommend it.

The tasteful story-telling takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of the families during and after (38 years after) the horrendous fate of Chris and Peta.

It provides an understanding of the events leading up to the murders and an insight to the miI read this book in one weekend. As a True Crime book, it is not my usual genre but this book is really well put together; a memorial for two young, intelligent people murdered on a boat whilst travelling the world. I would recommend it.

The tasteful story-telling takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of the families during and after (38 years after) the horrendous fate of Chris and Peta.

It provides an understanding of the events leading up to the murders and an insight to the mind of a monster. ...more

In 1978, recently qualified doctor Chris Farmer and his fiancée Peta Frampton disappeared whist on a round the world trip. A few months later their horribly mutilated bodied were found floating in the sea off Guatemala. Penny Farmer tells the story of the thirty-eight-year hunt for Silas Duane Boston, the man who killed them along with maybe thirty other people over his criminal career..The true crime shelves of the average bookshop are crowded with titles, most attached to books engaged in a saIn 1978, recently qualified doctor Chris Farmer and his fiancée Peta Frampton disappeared whist on a round the world trip. A few months later their horribly mutilated bodied were found floating in the sea off Guatemala. Penny Farmer tells the story of the thirty-eight-year hunt for Silas Duane Boston, the man who killed them along with maybe thirty other people over his criminal career..The true crime shelves of the average bookshop are crowded with titles, most attached to books engaged in a salacious race to the bottom aimed at satisfying our desire to have someone make our flesh creep.

Penny Farmer brings to what is often the province of hacks and ghouls the ultimate insider’s perspective, one of the victims was her beloved brother. This makes Dead in the Water a timely reminder that behind every crime statistic is a victim with a family that is forever changed by the misfortune visited upon it.

As a journalist with years of experience Farmer describes with meticulous accuracy the epic investigation, including the failures on the part of law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Atlantic that allowed Boston to evade justice for decades. She also writes with clarity and compassion about his two sons, both of whom have struggled hard to break free from their wrong beginnings.

Real life seldom offers the neat endings available to writers of fiction, Farmer does though find a measure of closure after years in which she and her parents struggled against the odds to see justice done.

In writing this book she has produced a timely reminder that no life is ever wasted if its owner is remembered by those by whom they were loved.

I chose to read this book because of a brief newspaper article I read about this true crime story. My expectations were fairly low, but I just wanted to know about the story. I wasn't looking for anything beyond that. But it was actually well written and enjoyable. It is a tragic story and very sad. But I'm happy that the families of the victims and the sons of Silas Duane Boston were able to uncover the truth and heal as best as possible. It is a really interesting read. If you are interested iI chose to read this book because of a brief newspaper article I read about this true crime story. My expectations were fairly low, but I just wanted to know about the story. I wasn't looking for anything beyond that. But it was actually well written and enjoyable. It is a tragic story and very sad. But I'm happy that the families of the victims and the sons of Silas Duane Boston were able to uncover the truth and heal as best as possible. It is a really interesting read. If you are interested in real-life crime stories, read this....more

Really interesting story but surprisingly badly written for a journalist (maybe an editing issue?) One chapter is written by the mother and that one is a lot stronger. Didn't prevent me being captivated by the story though! Fascinating read.

While I found this book really interesting and moving, it was repetitive in some parts. It’s disturbing that someone is so evil, but shielded by some family members. Also disturbing is the absence of thorough investigation from the start.